


Clever Lines to Say

by wordsareleftbehind (froggydarren)



Series: Daisies [12]
Category: Glee RPF
Genre: Future Fic, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-07-02
Updated: 2013-07-02
Packaged: 2017-12-16 20:13:00
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,641
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/866141
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/froggydarren/pseuds/wordsareleftbehind
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>
  <i>On the last night of Darren’s tour, he brings up a special guest on stage. Song inspired, click on the link when it comes up in the story ;)</i>
</p>
            </blockquote>





	Clever Lines to Say

 

It's not like he planned it, to offer her to come up there with him, to show the world one of the things they have, until now, kept as their special thing, even leaving Chris out. But he got reminded of the first tour and that one performance that stole everyone's hearts and when Chris showed him the photos again, Darren knew he had to ask.

"You sure you wanna do this, honey?" Darren looks at the set list all over again.

The tour is closing, it's the last show before he finally gets to go home again. Chris and Daisy didn't quite tag along for the entire tour, but most of it fell on Daisy's holidays, so they've been around for a big part of it. Chris questioned Darren on the dates, but Darren only shrugged in response then. For some of the gigs, he even managed to sweet-talk his way into bringing Chris on stage and they brought back a bunch of memories from their time on _Glee_ by singing some of their duets.

"Yes, Dad," Daisy grins, her little fingers running over the keyboard in a simple melody.

"Okay, I'll add it in," Darren smiles wide, the idea making him giddy with excitement.

He thought of it before, but she'd been too small, her ears too tender even with headphones. Even though he'd brought her on stage before it wasn't at actual gigs, but at events where Chris was too. This one is theirs only, though, the song they made theirs with time but yet kept it as simple and pure as the original.

"You two will have the audience on their knees, you know that?" Chris smirks from his spot at the laptop across the room.

He's been watching Darren and Daisy practice all afternoon. Not like either of them need to, they both have the song well rehearsed already. He knows Darren's been waiting to make sure she'd be up for the gig, though, that she wouldn't be in the slightest uncomfortable. It's not a big one, but still bigger than her school pageants and drama club performances and there will be complete strangers in the audience.

"They better get used to me," Daisy says confidently, "I'm taking over Dad's spot soon."

Darren pouts when Chris chuckles at the statement.

"And here I thought we'd go as a double act for a while," finally slips past Darren's still pouting lips, "I'm not quite prepared for my own daughter to steal my gigs."

"You should've thought about that before you asked me," Daisy giggles.

The exchange continues for a while, teasing comments thrown around with a loving tone as they're all used to, resulting in a tickle match that Chris only just manages to avoid by sneaking out when he spots the familiar signs.

When the gig time approaches and they pile into the bus to get them from their hotel to the venue, Darren's nerves do something they haven't done in years. He begins fidgeting and bouncing his legs, eyes darting around the bus as he starts hyping up for the evening.

"Dad," Daisy groans when he paces the length of the bus for the fifth time, "You're going to make _me_ nervous."

"Who gave you the smart cookies this morning," Darren mock-glares.

"Papa, of course," she sticks her tongue out at him and giggles.

"You're still sure?"

"Dad, I can't wait!"

They finally get to the venue and Darren tells the band what he's planned. All of them agree that it's a brilliant way to finish of the tour and the soundcheck and pre-show circle are filled with more emotion than Darren's expected. The guys had been on tour with him before and he knows they will be again, but there's something about the last gig that gets him every time.

As he gets through the familiar meet and greets that have, with time, not stopped being something he'd be willing to give up on, but have somewhat eased off in intensity, he feels the excitement build. As the show is coming to a close, he's already waved to Chris up on the balcony, to the audiences cheers, he dedicated songs to everyone he could remember and he's hyped himself up for the special performance at the end.

The lights dim and the band files off the stage and leaves him alone at the keyboard, with only one spotlight shining directly down on him.

"Now," he starts, voice a little shaky, "Remember how I promised a special performance tonight?" he asks the crowd and smiles at the cheers. "Well, it's not Chris this time, though I've heard through the grapevine that those were much appreciated," there are some faint boos in the crowd and he looks up to see Chris on the balcony, hands thrown up in defense. "I have something … no, I'm not going to say better, because I don't want to sleep on the couch tonight," laughter echoes through the room, "but I do have a guest to join me on stage. Before that happens, though," he shoots a look to the side of the stage where Daisy is bouncing on her toes, eager to run out, "I know you guys already got an acoustic set tonight and I know this song wasn't on the set list for this tour, but I really hope you won't mind. It's special to me and it's always been a song that I've loved, even if I didn't get to sing it before. But it needs a duet partner and it's only now that I know that I had to wait to have the perfect one," the crowd's murmurs sound more excited as people start joining the dots, "So, without further rambling from me, which I'm sure you all are sick of, welcome to the stage, the real star of my life," he glances up to the balcony again, "Sorry, Chris," he laughs as Chris shakes his head and the audience laughs, "our daughter, Daisy!"

The crowd erupts in cheers as Daisy makes her way across the stage, waving to them slightly shyly, like she's a little overwhelmed by the amount of people looking at her. When she settles at the keyboard next to Darren, he leans over for a quick hug.

"You still good, honey?" he asks, trying to reassure her _and_ himself.

"Perfect," she grins, "can't wait to show you up, Dad."

"Ladies and gentlemen, see what I have to put up with?" Darren says over the laughter that's filling the room, "Well, let's give them a show, shall we?"

([click for music](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iLXFTp1s_3M))

The noise in the venue dies down as he lets his fingers run over the keys, nodding his head to invite Daisy to join him. As the melody becomes recognizable, applause and cheers start again but stop when Darren lifts a finger to his lips and motions for the audience to stay silent.

_I know I stand in line_  
Until you think you have the time  
To spend an evening with me

They sing in perfect unison, their voices melting together like his and Chris' once used to. Darren can't keep the grin off his face and it's reflected in Daisy's face as they shoot each other quick glances between chords.

_And then I go and spoil it all_  
By saying something stupid  
Like I love you

When they get to the chorus, they sing the "I love you" to each other and Darren can hear the aww from the people in the room. He continues grinning happily as the song goes on and Daisy giggles back at him as she delivers her lines with ease, like she's been born to be a performer.

_I practice every day to find some clever_  
lines to say  
To make the meaning come true

He looks over to her as they near the end of the short song and they nod to each other almost imperceptibly as the final chorus begins. With the last few lines, they both look up towards the balcony where Chris is standing and sing them towards him.

_And then I go and spoil it all_  
By saying something stupid  
Like I love you  
I love you...

The music fades out slowly and Darren knows that the rest of the night will forever be a blur to him. He's bursting with pride as Daisy takes her bows and throws her arms around him before she bounces off stage again, emerging on the balcony next to Chris only moments later. Darren looks up to them and settles back at the microphone listening to the crowd cheering for their daughter. With one more glance towards Chris and Daisy, he waits for the band to join him back on stage and then brings his finger to his lips again. The applause and cheering slowly fades and he takes a deep breath, bracing himself for the last song, knowing Chris is in for a surprise.

"Now guys, here's a memory," Darren starts and for once can't keep his eyes on the crowd, "I wrote this quite some time ago and I'm pretty sure you know it, but would you mind not singing along?" he waits for the acknowledgment from the audience before he continues, "It's even more true now, not just for Chris who is the original inspiration, but now also Daisy. You both mean the world to me and most of the time, I just… lack the _words_ to say how much I love you both."

With that, the band starts playing the all too familiar tones and Darren loses himself in the music, eyes closed and head down, until his cue, when he looks up and sings directly to the two people on the balcony that he cherishes most in his life.

_I could write books in my sleep, without thinking too deep…_


End file.
